On This Day, August 28: Your Hit Parade and The Fat Man
Also featured: I Deal In Crime.
August 28 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 28 across American network radio, Frank Sinatra & Bea Wain counting down America's favorite songs for Lucky Strike Cigarettes on Your Hit Parade (1937–1943), William Gargan solving gambling extortion on I Deal In Crime, Dashiell Hammett's The Fat Man, B.A. Rolfe's roaring brass on Sing, Sing, Sing, and classic Boston satire from Bob and Ray (1936–1951):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Top Ten with Al Goodman" | CBS (WABC) 1937-08-28 10:00 PM EDST |
American Tobacco Lucky Strike Cigarettes |
Al Goodman, Buddy Clark | Peg LaCentra | ["Music", "Pop Standard", "Chart Countdown", "Big Band", "Vocal"] |
Al Goodman conducts the top ten popular music hits across the nation, countdown-headlined by the romantic ballad 'So Rare'. |
| "I Heard You Cried Last Night" | CBS (WABC) 1943-08-28 9:00 PM EWT |
American Tobacco Lucky Strike Cigarettes |
Frank Sinatra, Bea Wain | Mark Warnow (Director) | ["Music", "Pop Standard", "Chart Countdown", "Vocal", "Wartime"] |
Frank Sinatra and Bea Wain perform the week's highest-charting wartime sheet music tunes, led by 'I Heard You Cried Last Night'. |
| "The Big Bluff" | ABC (WJZ) 1948-08-28 8:30 PM EDT |
Sustaining Hardboiled Drama |
William Gargan (Ross Dolan) | Ted Hediger (Writer) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "Crime", "Mystery"] |
Private investigator Ross Dolan bluffs his way into an illegal high-stakes roulette parlor to clear an innocent accountant accused of murder. |
| "Murder in the Dark" | ABC (WJZ) 1951-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Detective Mystery |
J. Scott Smart, M. Patton | Dashiell Hammett (Creator) | ["Detective", "Hardboiled", "Mystery", "Noir", "Pulp"] |
Brad Runyon navigates a darkened seaside amusement pier to intercept an extortionist before a frightened carnival manager is killed. |
| "Sing, Sing, Sing" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1936-08-28 8:00 PM EDST |
Commercial Regional Sponsors |
B.A. Rolfe (Bandleader) | Palais D'Or Orchestra | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing", "Jazz", "Brass"] |
Trumpeter and bandleader B.A. Rolfe leads his orchestra in fast-tempo swing arrangements, headlining with Louis Prima's 'Sing, Sing, Sing'. |
| "Sing, You Told a Lie" | WHDH Boston 1948-08-28 |
Sustaining Morning Comedy |
Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding | Bob & Ray | ["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Sketches", "Americana"] |
Bob and Ray satirize local Boston radio commercials, deadpan soap opera cliches, and wacky song-and-dance auditions. |